Lingering Love
by Lady Xanthe Odessa
Summary: What if the one person you loved and thought you lost waltzed back into your life without warning? What if you already promised your love to another? Who would you choose: the one you were meant to spend your life with, or the one you promised your life t
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Friends Forever

As we go on, we remember  
All the times we had together  
And as our lives change, come whatever  
We will still be, friends forever

Vitamin C

Aysia tugged nervously at her midnight blue robes as she glanced at her reflection in the full-length mirror of her bedroom. Today was the day of her interview for a position at the Wizarding bank, Gringotts. The position was that of a curse-breaker, something that had interested her since she was a child. She tilted her to one side, debating on whether or not she looked her best. Her long, rich cinnamon-colored hair was pulled back into a somewhat loose bun. Her forest green eyes, so deep in color they looked almost black, were sparkling with excitement and nervousness. She decided she looked as professional as she could and turned to grab her wand from her bedside table before leaving her room.

As she made her way down the stairs, she heard a cry of joy and the sound of a muffled protest coming from the kitchen of the three bedroom London flat. As she entered the room she saw her twin sister holding their younger brother in a bone-crushing hug. Aysia laughed and her brother looked over to her with a pleading look on his face.

"Aysia, help me, oxygen is beginning to become a problem!" he gasped.

She rolled her eyes and walked further into the kitchen. "For heaven's sake, Trinity let Jaerrod go before he passes out. What's all the excitement about?"

When his sister finally let go, Jaerrod pointed to the kitchen table where his Hogwarts letter sat, along with a new badge. "Oh, Jaerrod, you've been made Head Boy!" she squealed. "Who would've thought our trouble-making little brother would be Head Boy?" she added affectionately as she hugged her brother with a lot less force than her twin, and for that he was grateful.

Trinity turned to her younger twin. "Do you think we could afford to get him something nice for this accomplishment?"

"We should be able to, especially if I get this job today," she answered with a nod.

Trinity looked at the time and grabbed her cloak. "Well, good luck with the interview. I have to go, the daycare won't be safe if I don't get there soon. Jaerrod, I'm so proud of you, we'll celebrate when I get home from work. You two take care!" and with that she Apparated to Garden of Magic, her child care center for younger magical children.

"Do you have to work today?" Aysia asked.

"Bloody hell! I was supposed to be there five minutes ago. Mr. Pommes is going to have my head," he told her and ran to the front door.

"If you would wait for just two moments, I'll Apparate you there." She walked to the coat rack and retrieved her cloak and grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him close to her. "Hold on and don't let go," she told him as she pictured Quality Quidditch Supplies in her mind and with a loud _pop_, they were gone.

After seeing Jaerrod off to work (and making sure Mr. Pommes was not going to have his head), Aysia Apparated herself to the front steps of Gringotts. Located partway down Diagon Alley and near its intersection with Knockturn Alley, it was a tall, imposing building constructed of white marble with burnished bronze front doors. They were guarded by a goblin wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold. She made her way up the white marble steps and bowed her head to the goblin before entering the bank.

She walked into the entrance chamber and met a second set of doors. These were silver and were engraved with a rhyming warning:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

The two goblins guarding these doors opened them so that she may pass into the banks main hall. The large room had a long counter with a hundred goblins, who were obviously hard at work counting and weighing coins, writing in ledger books, and examining precious stones, while sitting on their high stools. She glanced over to the many doors leading off of this room, guarded by still more goblins, which led to the vaults beneath the bank.

She was met by a goblin half way into the large chamber. "Miss Bleu, I assume?" he asked her.

"Yes?" she asked in return.

"Miss Bleu, my name is Griphook and I am here to direct you to the office of our head curse-breaker. If you would please follow me," he requested and turned on his heel trusting she would follow. He led her up a flight of stairs and down a corridor to an office marked _Head Curse-Breaker_, where he asked her to wait just a moment and he stepped inside. When he emerged, he told her she would be seen right away and that she was to go inside. She thanked him and did as she was asked.

She stepped inside the office and was met by two people. One was seated behind the desk with a nameplate that read _Mr. Jonas Foxworth, Head Curse-Breaker_, and the other was standing behind the desk, gazing out the windows into the busy street below. Mr. Foxworth gestured with an open hand to the vacant seat in front of desk, silently asking her to sit. She offered him a small, confidant smile as she accepted the invitation.

"And how are you today, Miss Bleu?" he asked as she seated herself.

"I'm perfectly well, thank you. And yourself?"

"Fine, fine. Well, I see here you have worked as curse-breaker before, in France, correct?"

"Yes, my father was French and my family moved there shortly after my graduation from Hogwarts. Wanting to live at home for an extra year, I followed them."

"Why return to England when you had a very promising career there?"

"My parents perished in an accident and considering my twin lived in London and my younger brother was attending Hogwarts, I decided it was best for my family, to be closer to each other."

"Ah, I see. Well, you are most certainly qualified for this position; therefore, it is yours if you would like it. You can begin Monday, as to enjoy the weekend and prepare yourself." He stood and moved around to the front of his desk where she was seated. She stood and took the hand he offered. "Welcome aboard, Miss Bleu, and good luck. Bill, would you kindly show her the way out?" he asked referring to the man standing behind him.

As the man turned around to face her, Aysia recognized him at once. His bright red hair was longer, but his eyes were the same light blue. He now sported an ear piercing with a long fang hanging from it. He wore casual clothing, faded blue jeans and a dark blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, not businesslike as Mr. Foxworth wore. It didn't surprised her to see that Bill Weasley had not changed very much since their final days at Hogwarts as Head Boy and Head Girl. The only thing that had changed about him, however, was that there were now scars intertwining on his handsome face.

He smiled at her and walked around the desk. "Aysia Bleu, blimey, it's been what, almost ten years?"

"That sounds about right, Bill. How have you been?" she asked.

"Great, everything is great. How about you?"

"Oh, just fine, thank you."

He took a step closer to her and embraced her in a warm hug. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents, Aysia. If I had known, I would have been there for you."

She smiled at him and nodded. Not wanting to talk about it in front of Mr. Foxworth, she decided to change the subject. "So, care to walk me out? We can talk along the way."

"Yes, of course, this way," he said and led her out the door she entered moments ago.

On their way down the staircase, she resumed the conversation. "So, how is your family, well I hope?"

"As well as can be expected of the Weasleys. Mum and Dad are terrific; Charlie's still in Romania with the dragons he's besotted with; Percy's working for the Ministry in the Department for International Cooperation again; Fred and George have opened their own joke shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes; Ron is an Auror; and Ginny is in her seventh year at Hogwarts."

"Well, they're a busy lot. I'm glad to hear they're all doing well, your family was always kind to me."

"Mum always loved you, you know. She even tried to get me to date you while we were in school."

"Did she now! Well that would have been interesting, now wouldn't it?"

Bill only nodded and looked at his watch as they reached the front doors of the bank. "It's about lunch time for me, would you care to join me? To be honest, I've missed you, it didn't really hit me until I heard old Jonas mention your name this morning."

"I would love to," she replied and he beamed at her.

When they stepped outside, he took her by the hand and began to force their way through the crowd of people. "Come on, I know just the place," he told as he pulled her up next to him.

They walked past quite a few colorful shops, such as _Flourish and Blotts_, _Eeylops Owl Emporium_, _Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions_, and _The Apothecary. _Bill led her inside a small café in front of _The Apothecary_ called _The Blue Duck_. Everything inside the café was a different shade of soft blue, along with soft greens and yellows. They chose a table for two in between two bay windows. They enjoyed their lunch together immensely and spent the entire time just catching up.

Bill reached over and held her hand before he changed the subject. "Aysia, if you don't mind, can I ask about your parents?" he asked her tentatively.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "About eight months ago, they went on holiday in America, we have a few relatives there. They claimed it was their second honeymoon. They were leaving for a couple of weeks and I was, of course, going to stay home with Jaerrod and such. About the time they were supposed to come home, I received a call from the Muggle law enforcement, telling me there had been a car crash and my parents were gone," she paused and wiped a few tears from her eyes. Bill gently squeezed her hand, silently urging her to continue.

"I didn't know what to do. Trinity was there in second and Jaerrod came straight home and we just sat there and cried together. Afterwards, they sent us their bodies and we had a small service for them in our home. Later, we decided it would be best if Jaerrod and I moved back to London with Trin, to stay close now that we were the only ones left."

Bill just nodded and squeezed her hand again, silently letting her know he was there for her. They quickly changed the subject again and talked about happier things. About an hour later, Bill looked down at his watch again and announced that he should be getting back to work. Aysia offered to help take care of the fee, but Bill wouldn't let her. She resigned with him agreeing to let her pay next time.

"Thanks, Bill, I had a great time with you today," she said and gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.

"So did I. Aysia, I'm here for you. If you ever need anything, anything at all, I'll be right there. I promise, I let our friendship go once, I'm not going to do it again. Listen, you should come by my parents' for dinner sometime, Mum would love to have you over and I doubt she would mind if your brother and sister came as well."

"I know, Bill, thank you. We would love too. Should I owl her or you?" she asked.

"Just drop by sometime next weekend, that's when I'll be visiting them, maybe we can all Apparate there together. And until then, I'll see you Monday at work. Take care Aysia," he said before hugging her in return and Apparating back to the front steps of Gringotts.

She just smiled to herself for no reason at all and Apparated herself home to relax before celebrating the fortunes of the day with her family.

(WC: 2,118)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: When You Say Nothing At All

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart  
Without saying a word you can light up the dark  
Try as I may I could never explain  
What I hear when you don't say a thing

Alison Krauss

The weekend could not come fast enough for Bill. It had been a while since he had seen his family, and he was anxious to do so. Not to mention, he would be spending more time catching up with Aysia, there were so many things he still wanted to talk to her about. He had forgotten how easy she was to talk to. He smiled as he remembered their talks from Hogwarts; they had talked about anything and everything. When he felt like his head was going to explode from studying, she was there to help him relax; when he was angry about something, she was there to listen as he blew off some steam; when he was ecstatic, she was there to share it with. But that was just the kind of person she was.

Bill was slightly relieved Fleur hadn't been able to join him this weekend. They planned on it, but at the last minute her mother owled her, telling her she should visit her family since her grandparents were visiting. Bill had been a little disappointed when she told him she was going home for the weekend, but she promised to visit his family and meet his old friend after she returned from France.

It was Friday afternoon, and he was supposed to meet Aysia, her sister, and her brother at _The Blue Duck_, so they could Apparate to the Burrow together. He glanced down at his watch and saw that it was a little after six o'clock. He looked back to the entrance of the café expectantly; she said they would be there by six fifteen that evening. Sure enough, not five seconds after he looked up, he saw her and her family enter the café.

He smiled when his eyes settled on Aysia. He liked the way she looked, which was very different from the way she looked at work. Her wavy chestnut hair was let down and it fell just below her collarbone. She was wearing cute two-piece top, the fist layer was a simple, white tank top and over it lay a pretty mauve on that was tied in the front and held together by two bows. She wore light blue jeans that flared slightly at the bottom with a par of simple black sandals. Her twin and brother, however, dressed differently.

Trinity wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a simple dark green shirt, which helped to emphasize her beautiful green eyes. She wore her long light brown hair in two loose braids that reached her elbows. Jaerrod dressed as every teenage boy would dress. He, like his sisters, wore dark jeans and a Ballycastle Bats tee shirt with a comfortable pair of trainers. He shared his sisters' green eyes, but had long curly hair that so chocolate in color it looked black.

Aysia left her overnight bag and her family by the front door and went over to greet Bill. She smiled and hugged him. "Hey, are you ready for this weekend?" she asked him as they walked over to her brother and sister.

"Yeah, I can't wait," he told her.

She turned to her siblings, ready to make the introductions. "Trin, I'm sure you remember Bill from Hogwarts." When Trinity nodded, she turned to her brother. "Jaerrod, this is Bill, the friend I've told you about and whose family we're visiting."

Bill stuck out his hand and Jaerrod shook it. Bill was impressed by the confidence in the younger man's grip and grinned at him. Jaerrod, who was thankful for some form of male companionship, grinned back.

"Right, shall we make our way to the Burrow then?" asked Aysia. The group nodded and picked up their bags. "Jaerrod, who would you like to Apparate there with?" she asked.

He glanced over to Bill, who noticed. "You could come with me, if you'd like," he offered and held out his arm.

"All right, then," he replied and took hold of Bill's arm. He looked over to Aysia and noticed Trinity taking hold of her arm. He remembered she had never been to the Burrow before, and thus it would be difficult for her to Apparate there. "Everyone ready?" Bill asked. When they all nodded he closed his eyes and imagined his childhood home. There was a loud _pop_, and the four of them were gone.

They arrived a few yards away from the Burrow a few seconds later. The home was at least six stories high and most obviously held together by magic. Aysia looked over at Bill with the biggest grin on her face, remembering the time she had stopped by for a brief visit before her move to France. She had ever so much fun with the Weasley family and regretted having to leave after only a full twenty-four hours.

When they reached the house they were greeted by Molly Weasley, who appeared to be the only one at home. She was a short, plump, kind looking witch, who had a motherly presence about her constantly, which she came by naturally after raising seven children. Her hair was as red as her children's and she shared the same blue eyes as her eldest son. She opened the front door with a look of happy surprise. "Oh, Bill, you're here! I've missed you so much, dear," she said and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. She released him with a smile. "I was sorry to get your note about Fleur, but excited when you told me about Aysia and her family coming," and with that she turned to Aysia.

"Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Weasley," she said.

"I was happy to have you dear, you were always such a pleasant girl. And these are your siblings?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

Aysia turned to them. "Yes, this is my twin, Trinity, she was in our year, of course. I was sorted into Ravenclaw, but she was sorted into Hufflepuff. And this is my younger brother, Jaerrod, who is now Head Boy and in Gryffindor House," she explained.

"How lovely, make yourselves right a home, you two. Come on, dears, and I'll show you where you'll be sleeping." And with that she led them up stairs. Once they reached the second landing, she stopped by the first door on the right. "Now, Bill, you'll be in your old room with Charlie when he gets here." She continued to the third floor and stopped at the second door on the left. "I've prepared this room for you two girls to share and the door across from this one is for Jaerrod. Now, why don't you unpack, then come down to the kitchen and we can catch up. The others should be arriving shortly and I have a few things left to do fore Harry's party." When the four of them nodded, she flashed them a warm, motherly smile and strode back down the stairs.

"Who is Harry?" asked Aysia, looking at Bill.

"Harry Potter, Aysia, he's like an adopted son to my mother and Sunday is his birthday. We're having a family party for him, which is why I invited you this weekend, to have fun with us."

"Oh," she said and asked no more

After that, they each when to their respective rooms and unpack. In Aysia and Trinity's room, there were two twin beds with homemade quits spread upon them. The floor was hardwood with threadbare rugs spattered here and there. There was a single dresser for both of them to use and they filled up about half of it with their belongings. There was also a pair of windows facing east, decorated with homemade curtains. Once they had everything squared away they left their room and made their way down stairs and into the kitchen.

They had only been upstairs for about fifteen minutes, but when they came back down, the house was full of people. Every Weasley was packed into the small kitchen, which made it more cramped than it already was. The entire family was squeezed together at the scrubbed, wooden table of the kitchen and a fire was blazing happily in the fireplace, waiting for Mrs. Weasley to finish preparing the evening meal. Next to Ron, were three people Aysia didn't recognize as part of the Weasley family. The first pretty young woman had wavy, honey-colored hair, which fell to her shoulders, and matched her honeyed eyes. She was a Healer at St. Mungo's if her robes were any indication as to her profession. The young man on her left, and whose hand she held in hers, had untidy raven black hair and the most beautiful emerald-green eyes. The second young woman was seated to the right of Ron, and he had his arm draped across her shoulders. She had waist-length, dirty blond hair and the most beautiful set of silvery-grey eyes Aysia had ever seen.

Bill looked up as they entered the kitchen and called his family's attention to them. "This is Aysia, my old friend from Hogwarts; her twin, Trinity; and her younger brother, Jaerrod." They each waved and the family waved back. Bill then introduced them to his family, and introduced the couple as Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, Ron's best friends from Hogwarts, and who, along with him, defeated Lord Voldemort. The other woman was Luna Lovegood and Ron's longtime girlfriend. Aysia couldn't help but notice the sad look on Ginny's face as Bill introduced the two couples and she wondered why Ginny was alone at the table, without a love of her own. She could also tell Jaerrod was happy to know someone at the table and no be completely in a room of strangers.

Mrs. Weasley stood and pushed her chair in. "Why don't we move outside, where there's more room for all of us. Boys, if you wouldn't mind taking care of the tables and chairs, the girls and I will manage with the food and dishes."

Everyone stood and the men went outside, while the women remained in the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley awarded Luna and Hermione the task of gathering the dishes and Ginny the job of collecting silverware. Aysia, who loved cooking, offered to help Mrs. Weasley finish the rather large meal, while Trinity flitted about, fetching items and helping in various ways.

When everything was finally ready the nine Weasleys, the three Bleus, Harry, Hermione, and Luna all sat down at the two tables that were assembled in the back yard. Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, was happily chasing the Weasleys' garden gnomes. "Tuck in!" called Mrs. Weasley from the head of the table and everyone began to conssume the meal that took the better part of a few hours in twenty minutes.

Later, after everything had been cleaned and cleared away. Aysia slipped outside and began walking. The evening shadows and the stars had appeared, the moon was almost full. Everyone else was still inside, they were having a wizard's chess tournament, and Aysia stole the opprotunity to have a moment to herself.

This past week had been crazy. She got her dream job at Gringotts, her brother was made Head Boy at Hogwarts and was going to pass his seventh year, her sister's daycare was finally getting off of the ground, and she met Bill again. The warmth of the day had gone with the sun, she wrapped her arms around herself and wished she had thought to bring a sweater.

She laid herself down upon the springy grass and looked up at the stars, trying to find the different constesllations. "Hey, what are you doing out here all by yourself?" asked a voice above her.

She smiled at Bill as he joined her on the grass. "Nothing, just looking at the stars," she replied. "That's the Dragon, Canis Major, Cygnus, Leo, Cassieopeia, and Orion," she told him as she pointed ou the different patterns in the sky.

"You know your astronomy," he told her.

"It was one of my favorite classes at Hogwarts."

Bill said nothing as his gaze caught the moon. He had learned about the moon in the past few years. It was almost full, in just a few more days it would be a complete orb. He was lost in his thoughts until he heard Aysia calling to him.

"Bill? Bill, are you all right?" she asked, leaning over him as to get a better look at his face. His scars looked slivery in the moonlight and for the first time, she wondered how he got them.

He looked up at her, seeing the concern on her beauiful face. It was amazing, she was saying so many things to him without uttereing a single word. Her gaze to him she cared, she loved him, she was worried about him, and that she was just there for him. "Sorry, Aysia, yes I'm fine. I was just thinking about something, that's all."

"What were you thinking about?" she asked, moving so that he might sit up.

He sighed and looked into her eyes for what felt like several long moments. "Have you ever wondered about how I aquired the scars on my face, or why I like my meat rawer than it should be, or why I behave oddly at times?"

She silently nodded and held his hand, urging him to continue in that sublte way.

"Well, the reason why is because I was attacked by a werewolf a little over a year ago."

"Oh, Bill. I had no idea," she whispered and held his hand a little tighter.

"It's not as bad as it sounds, Aysia. It wasn't near the full moon when I was attacked. I was protecting Hogwarts from the Death Eaters the night Dumbledore passed. I was dueling with Fenrir Greyback when he threw aside his wand and attacked me instead. Luckily, I lived and he wasn't transformed that night. It could have been worse for me," he told her when he noticed the tears filling her eyes.

"I know, it just that bad things shouldn't happen to good people, especially someone like you," she explained.

He smiled at her and kissed her forehead before he stood up. "Come on, Mum will be wondering where we are if we don't come in soon," he told her and offered his hand. She accpeted his offer with a nod, and they returned to the Weasley house walking with their arms about the other's waist.

(WC: 2,322)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Friday, I'm In Love

I don't care if Monday's blue  
Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too  
Thursday I don't care about you  
It's Friday, I'm in love

Robert Smith

Saturday was very much like Friday, only less frantic. Everyone was slow to get out of their beds, until the delicious smells from the kitchen promised to be more rewarding than sleep. After breakfast, Mrs. Weasley set to work knitting sweater and the like for autumn and winter, while Mr. Weasley set to work ridding the yard of garden gnomes. Percy was up in his room, working on something important for the Ministry. Which left the seven boys and five girls to themselves.

"What do you want to do?" Fred asked the group.

"I don't know, what do you want to do?" asked George.

"I don't know, what do you want to do?" asked Fred again.

"Don't start that again!" proclaimed Ginny to the two of them.

"Why don't we go into Muggle London?" suggested Hermione. She looked around the kitchen and saw that no one was objecting. "It's settled then, come on!" she stated, clearly excited.

"How are we going to get there?" asked Ron, who was standing with his arm around Luna.

Luna rolled her eyes at her lover and smiled at him. "Apparate to the Leaky Cauldron, Ron," she told him and kissed his cheek as he looked at her sheepishly.

The rest of them stood up, Jaerrod next to Bill, and they all pictured the Leaky Cauldron in their mind's eyes. After Charlie left his parents a note, the all Disapparated and were gone.

After they all arrived in the pub, they walked out of the gloominess into the bright sunlight of the outside world. Once there, everyone turned to Hermione, who had become the leader of their expedition into the Muggle world.

"So, Hermione, where are we of to?" asked Charlie, looking around the busy street.

"Well, I thought we could do something Muggle, obviously. How does roller skating sound to everyone?" she asked brightly.

"Roller whating?" asked Fred and George simultaneously, looking confused and interested at the same time.

"Roller skating. You put on these shoes that have rollers on the bottom and you move around a rink, a hard, flat, smooth, circular floor. It's loads of fun, Mum and Dad used to take me when I was younger," she explained.

"Sure," said Harry and everyone else nodded in agreement.

They all followed as Hermione led the way. After about ten minutes she came to a stop in front of a rainbow-colored building with a large sign that stated Jerry's Skate Palace in big, bold letters and Muggle music could be heard inside.. Once inside, she explained how to exchange their trainers for skates. Thankfully it was too early for the rink to be overly crowded. When everyone was ready to try it, she grabbed Harry's hand and led them out onto the rink.

Almost everyone but Harry and Hermione fell over. It was a chain reaction set of by Fred as he bumped ever so slightly into his twin. Who bumped into Luna and Ron, and so on. Eventually, everyone got the hang of it, and really started to have fun. They stayed the entire morning and afternoon. By that time the rink was full of people enjoying the afternoon, no one suspected the group of witches and wizards in the midst.

After a little while, the DJ announced that it was time for a couples only song. Everyone who was single made his or her way off the floor, taking the chance to eat or get something to drink. Aysia was just about to make her way off of the floor as well, but Bill grabbed her hand. She smiled at him and nodded to show she accepted his silent offer. She saw Trinity had been asked to stay by Charlie and Jaerrod was skating with Ginny. The twins, she noticed had decided to skip it and they made their way through another door with the words Laser Tag in big letters above it.

"I realize today is Saturday, but it's a favorite of mine, _Friday, I'm In Love_ by The Cure," announced the DJ and immediately began playing the song.

Bill wrapped an arm around Aysia's waist as they went around the rink. She smiled, glad that she had agreed to come with him this weekend and that Hermione had this great idea. When the song ended, they followed everyone else off of the floor and to their two tables.

"Oh, that was fun!" cried Ginny with a big grin on her face.

Everyone shared her opinion and thanked Hermione. Charlie went to find Fred and George while everyone else returned their skates and collected their shoes. When they were on the outside again, they decided to get something to eat. Hermione took them to Pizza Hut, where they put away four large pizzas.

On their way out of the pizza parlor, Ron turned to Hermione. "So what next, fearless leader?" he asked her.

She rolled her eyes and thought a moment. "Have any of you ever seen a Muggle movie?" she asked the group. She knew Harry and Ron had, she was with them for Ron's first movie.

When they all shook their heads, she grinned and started walking again, leaving them no choice but to follow her. She took them to a theater that only showed the old classics, not any of the newer big time movies. The one showing that day was one of her personal favorites and she hoped the others enjoyed it as well. They stopped by the concession stand and bought snacks and popcorn for the movie. When they stepped inside the theater, they were lucky enough to get an entire row of seats to themselves.

Finally the lights dimmed and the film began…

_There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South... Here in this pretty world Gallantry took its last bow... Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair, of Master and of Slave... Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered. A Civilization gone with the wind..._

And so began Gone with the Wind and their journey into the Old South of the United States, into the lives of Scarlett, Rhett, Ashley, and Melly. Aysia fell in love with the Old South immediately, which wasn't hard for her since she loved history. She wanted to be there, in the midst of everything that was happening. She sat silently, her face a kaleidoscope of emotions that changed with every scene. Bill let his gaze wander to her occasionally and was amused by her reactions, how the tale seemed to take her over. He laughed with her at Scarlett's half-planned schemes and he held her at the end when Melly died and Rhett left Scarlett.

He found himself wishing things could be like that with Fleur, not doing anything but watching a Muggle movie, but he knew it would be hard for her to do. Fleur always had to be doing something, she was always afraid of being bored, and had a hard time just sitting around. He loved that about her, but sometimes he wished she would slow down and just sit with him. But that was the way she was and he couldn't nor wouldn't change it.

When the movie was over, Hermione checked her watch and saw that it was almost eight o'clock. "We best get back to the Burrow, we don't want to worry your mum and we've been gone all day," she said.

They quickly walked back to the Leaky Cauldron and Apparated back to the Burrow. When they arrived dinner was almost ready and Mrs. Weasley pounced on them the minute they walked through the door. "For Heaven's sake! Where have you been? All I got this morning was a note from Charlie saying you were going out for the day. No telling where you had gone or when you would be back! Just that you were all leaving, except for Percy, who has been working nonstop all day long." She rambled like that until they all sat down for dinner outside.

The girls told her everything about the day and Mr. Weasley asked them questions about everything Muggle. When Aysia began describing the movie, Mrs. Weasley gave the younger woman her full attention. When she was done, she told her husband that they must go to a theater. He readily agreed, quite fascinated by it himself.

After everyone had their fill, Mrs. Weasley cleared the tables and cleaned the dishes with a few simple flicks of her wand. She stood and announced she was going upstairs to read for a little while, then go to sleep. Her husband also stood and followed her inside.

Everyone else debated on whether or not they wanted to turn in as well. Ron, Luna, Harry, and Hermione decided to go for a short walk before coming inside. Jaerrod went to see Fred and George's old room with Ginny, and Charlie was talking with Trinity. Aysia looked over at Bill and smiled.

"What's that smile for Miss Bleu?" he asked.

"No particular reason, Mr. Weasley. I just had a great time today, that's all."

"Well, I'm glad. Unfortunately, tomorrow is Sunday, meaning we have to go back to reality."

She threw him a pouty look, which made him laugh and throw an arm around her.

"Don't worry, we still have Harry's party tomorrow, and we won't leave until the evening."

She smiled at him again and stood up. "I'm going to take a nice, hot shower. If anyone needs me, I'll be out in half an hour or so," she informed them and left.

In the shower, she thought back on the day and how much fun she had acting as a Muggle. She particularly liked the roller-skating. She thought about skating with Bill during the couples skate and her heart gave the slightest flutter in her chest.

She frowned and gave herself a mental shake. _No, there is no conceivable way I still have feelings for him. None whatsoever. Besides, I heard at work he's not single, though he's never told me. Not that it matter's because I don't think of him that way!_

She decided to put the thought from her mind as she changed into her sleeping clothes and left the bathroom. As she walked down the stairs, she saw him with his family. He looked so young and carefree, like he did back at Hogwarts. Her heart gave the now familiar flutter again and she sighed.

_I'm in love with him._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Out of His League 

She leads me through moonlight  
Only to burn me with the sun  
She's taken my heart  
But she doesn't know what she's done

Patrick Swayze

Later that night, Bill was having difficulty sleeping. He tossed and turned for what felt like hours and hours before getting up and walking down to the kitchen. Careful not to wake anyone else, he walked as quietly as possible through the big, dark house. Once he was done the stairs, he made his way into the kitchen. There, he conjured a cup of hot tea and sat at the table.

He knew full well why he couldn't sleep, but for the life of him he couldn't understand it. He shouldn't be thinking that way, wasn't right or fair. But he couldn't get her out of his mind. She was like an itch he couldn't scratch, an ache that wouldn't go away. Why couldn't he stop thinking about Aysia?

_She hasn't been back in my life for even a week and look at what she's done to me! Just because I fancied her the tiniest bit in seventh year doesn't mean anything now…does it? I mean, I'm happily engaged to a great girl. I love Fleur, I do. So why do I keep thinking about Aysia, wondering what she doing, who she's with? Why did I keep getting jealous when Charlie started flirting with her during the chess tournament Friday night? _The thoughts just kept coming, not slowing down one bit. "Oy," he muttered to himself and put his head on the table.

There was a noise from the living room, and Bill picked his head up. It was his mother, coming down for something. "Good night, Mum," he told her.

Mrs. Weasley bit back a scream and jumped back at the sound of her son's voice. "Oh my, Bill dear, right start you gave me," she told him and walked toward the table, conjuring her own cup of tea. "What are you doing down here so late at night?"

"Nothing, Mum, just couldn't sleep."

"Any reason?" she asked him, although she was sure she knew the answer. No one could read her children the way she could and she saw his face tonight. Especially when he was around Aysia.

"Well, I have this friend at work, right? He's engaged to a really great girl, but a girl he used to be in love with and lost before he told her is now back in his life. So, now he's not sure of what to do. He doesn't want to hurt his fiancée, but he's not sure if she the one for him anymore," he told her. He loved his mother, and needed advice, but wasn't ready to let her know everything just yet.

Molly suppressed a smile and sat down next to her son. "I'm not sure I can help you friend, dear. But he should consider everyone's feelings before doing anything. His heart will tell him the right decision. Tell him everything will work itself out for the best, and not to do anything rash," she said and patted his arm.

He smiled at her, "Thanks, Mum, I'll let him know."

She finished her tea and kissed his cheek. "Don't stay up too much longer, Bill dear, you'll be exhausted tomorrow," she told him and stood.

"I won't Mum," he said.

"Well, good night, dear. See you in the morning," she said and traipsed back up the stairs and to her room.

It's not like I can give her what she deserves. I mean, look at me, I'm damn near a werewolf for heavens sake! She's out of my league. Merlin, I'm starting to sound like Remus!

Bill sighed and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. He had hoped his mother would give him something to go off of, but instead she warned him not to do anything he would regret. He sighed again.

At the sound of someone clearing their throat, he opened his eyes and glanced to the doorway. As if to make matters worse, there was Aysia, looking back at him. She looked beautiful in the moonlight, dressed in her matching pants and tank top pajamas, her hair slightly tousseled. She offered him a smile and came a little closer.

"Hi," she said and stopped in front of him. She couldn't help but notice the way he looked sitting there in the moonlight, in nothing but a pair of pajama pants, his hair hanging loosely, free of it's pony tail.

He smiled back at her. "Guess I'm not the only one who can't sleep tonight," he said. "Pull up a chair."

She moved closer and sat beside him. "Why can't you sleep?" she asked him. "Does it have to do with our conversation earlier?"

He shook his head. "No, it doesn't. It's something completely different, actually."

"Anything I can help you with?" she asked.

"No, not really. It's one of those things you have to sort out for yourself."

"Oh, well, if you change your mind, let me know," she offered.

"I will," he told her. "So, why can't you sleep?"

"New surrounding," she replied quickly. _If I told you the real reason you'd jump out of that chair and hurry back to your room. If you knew it was you that kept me awake, I would die of embarrassment. _

"Well, don't worry too much. The shadows in this house are pretty friendly and I know for a fact there are no monsters lurking about anywhere," he told her.

She laughed and playfully punched his shoulder. "Thanks for the reassurance, I feel much safer going back up to bed now," she said and stood up.

"I think I'm going to go back to bed myself," he said and stood with her.

She walked closer to him and gave him a warm hug. She smelled of honeysuckle and rain, simple and light. He hugged her back and she stepped away. As she turned to walk away, Bill did something he never thought he would do. He caught her hand in his, wrapped the other around her neck, and kissed her gently and softly. When their lips met, he felt her tense. He leaned away ever so slightly and looked into her eyes. He could see confusion, but there was something else…could it be longing?

Aysia was confused, this is what she wanted, but why did it feel so wrong? Before she could say anything Bill kissed her again, this time harder and more passionate. As the fireworks exploded within her, she lost all thought and he could feel the tension start leave her body. He pulled back again and began to trail kissed over her jaw. He felt her shiver as his lips reached her ear and lifted a hand to the back of his head. They separated for a moment to catch their breath before she brought her lips to his and he nibbled gently on her bottom lip before kissing her again. He released her hand and his arms found their way around her waist as she moved so that she was leaning against the table.

Suddenly, Bill came to his senses and abruptly pulled his head back. Aysia let out a frustrated sigh.

"Aysia, I … we can't do this," he panted, trying to catch his breath.

"Why not?" she replied equally out of breath.

"Because … I … you … we … can't" He could feel her warm breath on his cheek and he was finding it increasingly difficult to think with her so close. "Just give me some time to think about this, Aysia, please?" he asked, his voice strained.

She nodded and stepped around him. As he watched her walk away from him, back to her bed, he wanted to call out to her, but he stopped himself. He needed time think before anything else happened. He sighed and made his way back up to his bed. Once he got there, he laid down, but didn't fall asleep until just before the sun came up. Try as he might, he couldn't stop feeling as if he had betrayed not only Aysia and Fleur, but himself as well.

Aysia couldn't believe what happened down in the Weasley kitchen. She was laying under the covers of her bed, her body turned to look out of the window. She sighed, thinking about it.

Bloody Hell, why did I kiss him back? Why? Because I've been in love with him since I was seventeen? I shouldn't have, look at the way he acted. He couldn't get away from me fast enough. And what about the whole 'time to think' bit? I just wish I wasn't so confused! Damn it, Bill Weasley, why do you do this to me?

She buried her face into her pillow and sighed again. There was nothing to be done now. What's done is done and nothing could change that. She didn't think she would even if she could. She rolled back over on her side and fell into a fitful, restless sleep.

(WC: 1,446)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Feeling Guilty 

Feeling guilty,  
And I'm worried, and I'm waking from a tormented sleep  
'Cause this old love, you know it has me bound,  
But this new love cuts so deep.  
If I choose now, I'm bound to lose out;  
One of you is gonna have to fall...  
I need you, baby

Joan Armatrading

Bill was not looking forward to going downstairs, not at all. He stayed in bed for as long as his family would allow, being more accurate, as long as his brothers would allow. He promised them, except Percy that is, Jaerrod and Harry he would play Quidditch with them today. And it was Harry's birthday. He groaned and pulled himself out of the bed. He went to the dresser and pulled out a torn and faded pair of jeans, they were the only pair he would wear playing Quidditch. After he threw on a white tee shirt, his boots, and his hair in a ponytail, he made his way down the stairs.

He was relieved to find only the other males in the kitchen waiting for him. They pounced on him the moment he appeared.

"About bloody time you got your lazy arse out of bed," called Ron, who was leaning against the wall with his broom.

"Sorry, didn't sleep so well last night," he said.

"It's all right, let's just get started," said Charlie as he got up and walked out of the back door.

"Happy Birthday, Harry," he said.

Harry grinned at him, "Thanks."

Everyone else followed suit and they made their way to the field behind the Burrow. Once there, they divided themselves into teams. Charlie, George, and Ron made up one team, while Bill, Harry, and Jaerrod made the second. Fred was acting as referee and played on both teams, switching with players in half hour intervals. After they started, Bill was glad he decided to come after all. At least it offered a reprieve from thinking about last night and Aysia. After a few hours, the game was over in favor of Bill, Harry, and Jaerrod. The other three were grumbling about it the entire time they walked back, no help from Fred who insisted on recounting the entire thing.

When they entered the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley and the girls were finishing pulling things together for the party and Mr. Weasley was tinkering with Muggle things in his shed. When Bill stepped inside, his gaze went immediately to Aysia. Her smile froze and melted away. She looked down, focusing on the carrots she was cutting. If anyone noticed her change in behavior, they said not a word. Bill sighed and went upstairs to take a shower and change into clean clothes.

Aysia felt sorry about her reaction to Bill when she saw the look on his face as he left the room. It was a tortured, frustrated look, one that was similar to her own. She was glad when the other boys went to wash up and the others went back to their own preparations. She felt a fugitive tear escape her eye and fall onto the carrots. She blinked rapidly, trying to stop anymore from forming. Only her twin, who could read her so well, could tell something was the matter. Trinity made a mental note to talk to her later.

The party was everything it should have been. Hermione and Luna managed to string fairies in the garden with no problem, and the other women managed to create a generous feast for everyone. Mr. Weasley and the other men put all of the furniture together without a hitch. After everyone had two or three helping of everything and were full and content. Harry called everyone's attention.

"I'd like to thank everyone for tonight, it's been one of the best night of my life. There is only one thing that could make it any better," and he turned to Hermione and pulled her up next to him.

"Hermione, we've been best friend's for almost eight years now. I've loved you every single day of those eight years. I love you more than I ever thought possible to love someone. You are my candle in the darkness and my angel from above. Hermione Jane Granger, will you make me the happiest man alive and become my wife?" he asked.

Hermione looked up at him and smiled as the tears fell from her eyes. He grinned and kissed her before pulling a ring from his pocket.

"This is the ring my father gave to my mother when he asked her to marry him. I think they would both be proud to have you as a part of our family."

"I'm proud to be a part of that family, Harry. I love you," she told him and kissed him again.

When they broke apart, Mrs. Weasley, with tears of joy, held out her arms and embraced Hermione, while the rest of the family was clapping and giving congratulations. Aysia smiled at the happy couple and hugged Hermione and Harry both. She caught Bill's eye and realized he had been watching her. She smiled at him, but it faltered as he looked away from her and began walking away from everyone and into the darkness.

She knew she probably shouldn't have followed him, but she couldn't help herself. After last night, they had to talk, and if he wasn't going to come to her, she was going to go to him. She had no idea where he was going or how far away it was, but she was determined not to lose him in the dark. She glanced up at the sky, the moon and stars were blocked out by enormous storm clouds, and she heard thunder in the distance. Finally, she had had enough of following him blindly.

"Bill!" she called out to him, hoping he would stop. Thankfully, it worked and he stopped in the darkness.

"Why did you follow me out here, Aysia?" he asked her without turning around. His voice sounded overwrought and strained, no doubt due to the heavy thoughts weighing on his mind.

"Bill, what's wrong? Talk to me, please. This isn't fair of you to do to me. We need to talk about what happened last night, we can't just pretend like it never happened!" she told him as calmly as she could, despite the high running emotions building inside of her.

Bill was silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts, trying to decide how to explain everything to her. Turning to her, he said, "Aysia, I haven't been completely honest with you lately. Bloody hell, I haven't been completely honest with you since our last year at Hogwarts."

She frowned, confused by what he was telling her. "Bill, what do you mean?"

"I should have told you how I really felt about you years ago, but for whatever reason, I didn't. Do you remember the farewell ball at the end of our seventh year and how we went together as Head Boy and Girl?"

"Yes," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Well, the truth is, I didn't go with you for the reason I told you; it didn't have anything to do with House unity. I went with you because I couldn't watch you go with anyone else, _I _wanted to go with you. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you? I was, and still am for heaven's sake, in love with you!" he ended in a near shout.

Aysia was taken aback at this confession. She didn't know what to say or how to react. Truth be told, she was in love with him as well, all those years ago. She had been in love with him since she first met him, she now realized. She smiled to herself at how long it had taken her foolish mind to realize what her heart had already known.

"And now we come to the worst part of this conversation, to the reason why I pushed you away last night and why I came out here. Four years ago, when the Triwizard Tournament was held at Hogwarts, I met someone. Fleur Delacour is her name, I'm sure you've met her at Gringotts at some point. Well, I had closed my heart to every woman since you left for France, I didn't want anyone but you. But then she came along and reminded me of you ever so slightly, probably because she's French. But something made me open up to her, let her inside. And about a year later, we became engaged. We were supposed to be married last summer, but her family convinced her to wait a little while longer, to be honest they don't really approve of me, so we postponed the wedding indefinitely," he finished his confession with a long, tortured breath.

So, there it was, the reason behind his actions of the past two days. He was engaged to another woman, and had been for almost three years. When the first tears fell from her darkened eyes, the sky let go with a cold and lonesome rain. Bill walked quickly to her and threw his arms around her, his own tears now mixing with the rain at the sight of hers.

"Aysia, forgive me. Please, forgive me," he whispered as he held her. Though he knew he shouldn't, he tilted her chin gently with his hand and kissed her softly on the lips.

The kiss was enough to break her heart all over again. It was ever so gentle and loving, as well as full of sorrow. She felt his pain, as it mirrored her own. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder as the rain continued to fall about them.

"I love you," she whispered softly.

"And I love you," he whispered back.

She released her hold on him and stepped back. "When I was a little girl, I wish for someone who would love me as much as my father loved my mother. I wished for someone to marry, raise a family with, and grow old with. I wanted a great and wondrous love to last my whole life through. And now, I've found it in you. But I can't do this, it's not fair to any of us: not to you, not to me, and not to her. I love you, Bill, but I can't live with the pain at the cost of loving you. If I could turn back time and tell you what I should have told you a long time ago, I would. But things happen for a reason, even though we may not know why."

He smiled at her sadly. "No wonder you were in Ravenclaw, my love, you're very wise."

She stepped closer to him and kissed his cheek. "You will always have my heart, Bill Weasley, until the day I die," she said softly. Then she turned and began walking slowly away.

"I wished for you, too," he called to her retreating figure. As she disappeared from his sight, he released his pent up emotions and let out a sorrowful and angry howl to the sky above.


End file.
